Canada’s PM’s Daughter, Belgian Princess Caught in Harvard-Trump Feud

Harvard University initiated legal proceedings Friday challenging the Trump administration’s elimination of its authorization to admit international students, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the President and the elite academic institution. The university’s legal filing claims the federal government’s decision breaches First Amendment protections, according to the Associated Press, warning of “catastrophic immediate consequences” for approximately 7,000 students holding international visas.

A federal judge subsequently issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration from implementing the restriction on Harvard’s international student enrollment, with the court issuing a preliminary restraining order.

Should the administration’s policy remain in effect, the prestigious Ivy League institution would face a two-year prohibition on admitting international students and would be required to facilitate the transfer of current foreign students to alternative US institutions to maintain their visa status.

The dispute stems from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s April 16th directive demanding Harvard provide student data that could potentially connect individuals to campus demonstrations and result in deportation proceedings.

Data from Harvard’s 2022 records, cited by the Canadian Press, shows 686 Canadian nationals were enrolled at the university. This group includes Cleo Carney, whose father is Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. She recently concluded her freshman year in the university’s resource efficiency undergraduate program.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, heir apparent to the Belgian crown, represents another prominent student affected by the controversy. Having completed her first year pursuing a two-year master’s degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, she currently remains in Belgium while awaiting clarity on her ability to return for her second academic year, the Associated Press reported. Palace communications director Xavier Baert stated, “We are examining this situation to determine what consequences, if any, this ruling may have for the princess. It remains premature to make definitive statements.”

Harvard has denounced the administration’s move as “illegal” and announced it is “rapidly mobilizing to offer guidance and assistance to affected community members.”

The university declared: “Through a single administrative action, the government has attempted to eliminate one-fourth of Harvard’s student population—international scholars who make substantial contributions to the institution and its educational objectives.”